Berger's response to Sorkin

Among the thousands of pages of documents released Friday by President Bill Clinton’s library is a flashback to 2000 as the world — senior White House staffers included — was captivated by the first season of the NBC drama "The West Wing."

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Enter Sandy Berger, the president’s national security adviser and apparently a fan of the show based on the introduction he often gave in wonky policy speeches on issues including China joining the World Trade Organization.

One draft speech from May 2000 described how Berger had the chance to “chew…out” West Wing creator Aaron Sorkin during a recent White House visit because the show didn’t have someone portraying the National Security Advisor, even though nearly half the episodes involved a foreign crisis.

Scribbled in the margins of Berger’s draft speech, included in a batch of files by White House speech writer Paul Orzulak: “Pretty sick of this. If nothing better, drop.”

But Berger’s complaints may have made a difference. Nancy McNally, the fictional National Security Adviser in "The West Wing" played by Anna Deavere Smith, made her debut appearance at the start of season two in October 2000.